Traditionally, wooden spools or industrial reels that are used to transport, store, and dispense various materials, e.g., fiber optics, other types of transmission cables, wires, etc., have had their contents protected through use of wood lagging strips, as shown in the prior art of FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1, the traditional, prior art manner of preparing an industrial reel 10 for shipping through the use of wood lagging 12 is shown. Industrial reel 10 is generally fabricated from wood and includes a central spool 14 and a pair of end plates 16. Various types of wire and/or cable 18 are wrapped about the central spool 14 and maintained thereon by virtue of end plates 16 allowing industrial reel 10 to operate as a shipment, storage and dispensement container all in one. To prepare industrial reel 10 for shipment, wood lags (lagging strips) 12 are placed one-by-one around the circumference of industrial reel 10, requiring significant preparation time. Each wood lag 12 is secured at each end by a nail 19 to one of end plates 16. The nail is directed into the width 20 of each of end plates 16 rather than the interior face 22 or exterior face 23 of end plates 16. As such, a nail directed at an angle presents the possibility of extending through the interior face 22 of end plate 16, resulting in an unreliable wood lag and the possibility of damaging the contents of industrial reel 10.
Each of the lagging strips 12 has been cut to the width of the industrial reel and secured to end plates through the use of nails and a nail gun. The wood lagging 12 presents gaps between individual lagging strips through which foreign material may reach the industrial reel contents. The securing and subsequent removal of the lagging strips 12 from the industrial reel 10 adds significant time, and resultant costs, to the industrial reel shipping process. The use of nails and a powered nail gun provides the possibility of injury to the individual preparing the shipment and, as well, the possibility of injury to the spool contents through virtue of a misdirected, long-shanked nail. Additionally, the wood lagging 12 itself adds significant cost to the shipping due to the weight the lagging adds to the industrial reel and its contents. Further, the disposal and/or re-use of the wood lagging 12 is not easily facilitated and also presents a significant recycling concern. Similar problems are presented by plywood and Masonite® lagging when used in place of the wood lagging 12.
In an effort to address at least some of the problems described above, one manufacturer has produced an alternative to wood lagging 12. Specifically, the alternative is a triple-layered material, i.e., an inner layer of polypropylene foam cushioning, a middle layer of recycled polypropylene, and an outer layer of spunbonded polypropylene. The inner layer is placed in direct contact with contents of the industrial reel and is wrapped directly about the contents rather than about the circumference of the reel end plates, as shown in the prior art of FIG. 2. The material is secured against the contents of the industrial reel through use of metal banding strips, leaving the end plates exposed.
Referring to FIG. 2, the prior art alternative to the configuration of FIG. 1 is shown. In the prior art embodiment of FIG. 2, a triple-layered material 24, i.e., an inner layer of polypropylene foam cushioning, a middle layer of recycled polypropylene, and an outer layer of spunbonded polypropylene, is wrapped about the contents of industrial reel 10 and is positioned within the diameter of end plates 16. Material 24 is held in position, i.e., in direct contact with the contents of industrial reel 10, through use of one or more metal banding strips 26. As a result of this direct contact, possible damage to the contents of industrial reel 10 is increased according to the pressure applied by metal banding strips 26 upon the contents. Note that because the contents of the industrial reel is most often spooled in a manner wherein the exterior of the contents is visible as a coursed configuration, i.e., the contents is in a side-to-side/top-to-bottom layer configuration as opposed to a layer-beneath-layer configuration as in adhesive tape, many portions of the contents are exposed for potential damage from the elements or reel-to-reel contact.
The alternative described above with reference to FIG. 2 does significantly reduce the time needed to wrap and unwrap the industrial reel, it does reduce the overall weight of the industrial reel, and it does eliminate the need for nails and the possible injury they may cause. However, it introduces new problems that were not present with wood lagging. Because the material 24 of the alternative approach is in direct contact with the contents of the industrial reel 10, there is the possibility that the pattern of the material 24 will be imprinted on the contents of the industrial reel 10. Further, because this alternative approach wraps the contents of the industrial reel 10 rather than the circumference of the end plates of the industrial reel 10, there is a possibility that the exposed end plate 16 of an industrial reel 10 will roll into the contents of another industrial reel 10, thereby damaging its contents.
As such, there is a need in the art for a product that addresses the problems presented by wood, plywood, and Masonite® lagging as well as the problems presented by the above-described alternative approach.